


Deadly Truth

by Amethystfairy1



Series: My FF.net reposts [2]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Angst, Double Life, Guns, Hurt/Comfort, Kinda, M/M, Married Life, Murder, Secrets, Tino's a Sniper, but shhh it's a secret, sniper au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-29
Updated: 2020-03-29
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:54:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23370526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amethystfairy1/pseuds/Amethystfairy1
Summary: Tino's been doing this since he was ten. The notches on his rifles speak for themselves. Everything from mafia men to drug lords, he's taken them down. Nothing's stopped him yet. So what is a sniper, hardened and cold from a harsh life, to do when caught, rifle in hand, by someone he can't fight off? Berwald catches Tino cleaning his gun. Tino has to find a way to explain to his husband what he's been hiding all along.
Relationships: Finland/Sweden (Hetalia)
Series: My FF.net reposts [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1776622
Comments: 8
Kudos: 38





	Deadly Truth

**Author's Note:**

> So lately with all the free time we've all suddenly had, I've been going through my old FF.net account, and since you're not able to import stories from there directly to the archive, I thought I'd use some of the oodles of spare time I now have to manually copy-paste, edit, and bring some of my old stories here. So, do keep in mind this is an old one, I orginally posted this April of 2016. As a matter of fact this is the first time I ever wrote romance in any shape or form, so if you've read some of my recent stuff, which is basically all romance, then HERE'S WHERE WE STARTED. Where all the greats start. With SuFIn XD Anyway, I was pretty proud of this fic, and honestly, I'm still pretty proud of this fic, which is why I want it on this profile despite the age. Without further ado, though, please enjoy~

"Here we go!" Tino grunted with effort as he clambered up the side of the steep cliff.

He glanced back over his shoulder at the hundreds of feet separating him from the ground. No rope or net would be catching him should he fall. Gritting his teeth, he renewed his battle with gravity, pulling himself up, gripping at the uneven surface of the stone. He stretched upwards, his light blue sleeve slipping down slightly as he latched onto the ledge of the cliff, pulling himself up and over, planting his black knee-high boots on the blessedly even ground.

"Whew...what a climb..." He mumbled as he caught his breath, taking a moment to look out over the impressive view of the landscape.

Giving a satisfied huff, Tino got down on his stomach and crawled to the opposite edge of the small plateau to which he'd climbed.

Looking out, he saw, on an adjacent plato connected to the ground by a semi-paved road, a small meeting appearing to be taking place.

"Whoopsie...I'm a tad bit late~" Tino giggled to himself as he reached back, pulling the rifle from his back.

Humming a little tune, the blonde settled the gun on the ground, propped upon his shoulder, and angled it up slightly, putting his eye to the scope.

"Let's see...which of you goes first?" He squinted through the scope and spotted the two he was being paid to take down; one was just about to pass a briefcase to the other.

"No you don't!"

He pulled the trigger as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

The first of the two mens head exploded, the other let out a choked scream as the first ones body collapsed. The man's two bodyguards darted forward, looking for any sign of an assassin, drawing their weapons as they hustled to get their boss into the white car waiting only a ten-foot sprint away.  
The trigger was pulled again, the crack of the rifle echoed, and the second men keeled over, blood seeping from the bullet hole in his chest.

The two bodyguards momentarily attempted to save him, but quickly realized he was beyond help.

Tino did not bother to stay and watch for any further activity from them; he had been paid to kill the two men, not their lackeys.

"Bye-bye, it was fun playing with you," Tino whispered as he put his rifle back over his shoulder and shimmied backward so not to reveal his hiding place, he carefully began his descent from the plateau.

Tino arrived back on the ground after another stressful climb. He hurried across the small clearing separating the cliff from the trees and began his trek through the forest towards where he'd left his car.

As he walked the forest seemed still all around him, he didn't hear any birds, no animals as there had been when he'd first come through here.

The high of the job was dropping him, leaving him as unprepared as always for the crash that followed after the childish, simplistic mindset he would place himself in before the hit.

He stopped in the middle of the woods; there was barely enough room to walk with the thickness of the trees and bushes.

Tino reached back and drew the rifle from behind him, holding it in front of him, he looked over it.

Drawing out his pocket knife, he made two more notches in the bottom of the barrel. His eyes skimmed over the other marks; this made almost fifteen kills.

With this rifle, of course, it was brand new, and he had five others at home. That wasn't counting the times he'd had to use one of his pistols.

His old rifles, all five of them, were stored away in a locked trunk in the attic of his home, where none would ever find them.

Tino let out a heavy, shaky breath.

"I've been doing this way too long...I used to collapse, trembling and sobbing after every job was over and done...it used to guilt me for days at a time." Tino felt tears welling up in his violet eyes.

"Now? Now I...I..."

Tino sank slowly down to the forest floor, settling cross-legged with the rifle resting across his lap.

He looked dully down upon the weapon that had taken away so many lives.

Where would he be without these abnormally sharp violet eyes?

If it weren't for this job, he would never have moved to this area.

Never would have met Berwald.

Of course, their sons were uninformed on his activities. Berwald had no clue of his job either. He thought that Tino worked for the military; that was why his hours were odd; his payments were abrupt and, at some times, enormous. It was Tino that had them living in a beautiful, two-story house in the suburbs. It was Berwald's job as a carpenter that filled their home with beautiful hand-carved furniture. Their sons went to regular schools, and Lars and Peter were blissfully unaware of their 'Mama's so-called 'job.'

Berwald didn't know Tino worked for a crime ring. Didn't know that Tino kept two cell phones, one for work and one for everything else in his life. Didn't realize just how much blood was on his wife's hands.

Tino didn't realize tears were dripping onto his rifle and pooling into the notches until he was already sobbing.

He tried his best to avoid the killing of innocents, of these notches, not one had a pair of clean hands.

Tino stood up quickly and shook his head hard, wiping at his eyes before taking a deep, heavy breath.

Once, he would have been paralyzed with the realization of his deeds for hours, now, it took but a minute or two to get over the disturbing high and the devastating crash.

Tino slipped his rifle back over his shoulder and slapped himself across the face.

Quite hard, mind you.

"Time to go home!"

False cheer filled his voice, soon to become authentic once his children pounced on him through the door, and his husband came to greet him.

* * *

Tino shuffled his way through the attic window, he'd made several changes to the house upon purchase, while his husband was at work and his children at school, of course. The first had been an exterior lock on the attic window, enabling him to slip inside and lock away his weapons before coming in through the front door.

He slipped in through the window and tip toed across to the small, dusty trunk in the corner. He purposely kept it covered in dust and was careful never to leave fingerprints upon it, it was less likely for Berwald, the only other person who came up here, albeit rarely, to investigate its contents.

Tino pulled out the key he kept on the same chain as his other keys and unlocked the trunk, removing his rifle straps, with the rifle inside, and laying them inside, also shrugging out of his light blue jacket and leaving him in a heavy black tank top with boots and light blue pants. He unclipped the belt with ammunition, a knife, and a pistol, in case of emergency, also dropping it into the trunk.

He looked into the trunk sadly.

Now his complete collection, six rifles in all, lay in a neat stack in the trunk, with several pistols, knives, and guns as well. Old job folders had been pinned to the inside of the lid, faces, names, highlighted locations, and time frames. Tino kept them all so not to forget, despite the fact that each and every job was seared deeply into his memory, all the way back to when he was fifteen years old, the first time he'd ever pulled a trigger and snuffed out someones life like a dying flame.

Tino shut the trunk and locked it again.

Shaking his head, he crawled back out the window and into the tree conveniently located next to it. After checking to be sure the coast was clear, he leapt from the branch and landed neatly next to his car.

He decided he needed a cover up to be left alone to study his next job, so he drew the file from his glove box and headed towards the front door.

He unlocked it and called inside.

"I'm home!"

Two pairs of feet scrambled from upstairs, shooting down the staircase and slamming into him.

Laughing, Tino returned the hug from both of his sons, Lars had bright orange air and an odd scar running across his nose, Peter had blonde hair and bright blue eyes, he was wearing his usual sailor uniform and hat while Lars was wearing a white jacket and jeans. Both of them were under ten years old, and overjoyed their mother was home.

"Mama! Did everything go good at work?" Peter asked.

The both of them had learned not to ask exactly what had happened, but these broad questions didn't do any harm.

"It went great, a very good day." Tino responded, patting Peter on the head.

Lars latched himself around Tino's waist and refused to release him until acknowledged.

"Hello, Lars, how was your day at school?"

Lars went off an a tangent about how his best friend Kaiser had freaked out about something being 'not art' before running directly into a tree and passed out on the ground.

"So I pulled on his braids to try and wake him up cause he was all dazed!"

Lars finished, puffing his chest proudly.

"Wisteria and I played frisbee! And Romeo had to get the frisbee out of a tree for us...it's not fair, he's so tall!"

Tino smiled at Peter , relaying a tale about how much fun he'd had with his two friend, one of whom Tino had to admit, looked to be nearly a foot taller then the norm of his age.

"Alright, alright, I have to go finish up some work, ok? We can talk more at dinner tonight. Go finish your homework, is your Father back yet?"

"Papa's in the garage!" Peter replied.

Tino nodded. "That's to be expected."

He agreed before shooing the boys away up the stairs, back to their rooms to do their homework.

The violet eyed finn then made for the garage.

"Ber?" He called inside over the scratching of sandpaper against wood.

Berwald looked back before a soft smile came over his face.

"Welcome home."

Tino sighed as his husband came over, greeting him with a hug and kiss.

What would Berwald think should he know what had transpired within the past few hours?

Tino pulled away , and he knew Berwald sensed something greater on his mind, before Tino turned back to him and spoke.

"I've got to work on something alone for a while, could you keep the boys out of the office, please? I'll finish as soon as I can ,and then I'll start on dinner, kay?"

The ring in his voice stilled any growing concerns for the moment, but Berwald was still worried.

"M'kay. Don't overwork yourself."

Tino chuckled at the Berwald version of teasing.

"I won't. I won't."

He replied before leaving the garage.

Berwald was rather worried about his wife, he had always been very secretive about his job, understandable considering it was a job that had quite _literally s_ worn him to secrecy. Lately, though, every time he returned, he looked increasingly worn out, snapping at the swede before storming off, only to return several minutes later after he'd calmed himself, apologizing profusely. Berwald would always forgive him with ease, he didn't know much about his wife's job, but judging by the way they'd had to teach both of their sons never to touch the knife or the pistol in the glovebox of both of their cars, it must have been rather stressful.

Berwald groaned under his breath before turning back to his project.

_I hope Tino knows what he's doing._

* * *

It was one day in particular that caused Berwald's worry to peak. His wife was in the office, the door was locked, it always was whenever he was working, he didn't want one of their sons suddenly bursting in without thought. He'd been in there for hours, it was nearly one in the morning, and he still hadn't come out.

Berwald was walking through the hallway when Tino's voice burst from behind the door.

"No! I can't get away that day! You idiot! You know not the book me for departures or hits or anything on Saturday's!"

Berwald's brow furrowed, and curiosity overwhelmed him, he froze in his tracks and inched closer to the door in order to hear the telephone conversation within.

"Shut up!"

Tino's voice was cracking.

"I'm not doing another one for the rest of the month! Shove it, Lovino, I don't care, you knew not to book me, and you did it anyway! We have a contract, bastard!"

Berwald jumped, surprised, he'd never heard his wife raising his voice so loud. Not often did he hear such language from the usually sweet hearted man he loved either.

"No, you listen, dammit! The contract clearly states no booking me in consecutive weeks, much less after only three days! I don't care how much the job pays!"

Silence.

"...good god that much? That's double what I made in the last four combined..."

Berwald listened as footsteps began to pace the small office.

A heavy sigh was heard.

"Gimme a time frame."

Silence yet again, the person from the other end of the line was speaking.

Tino then lowered his voice, Berwald strained his hearing and was just able to pick it up.

"A drug lord? Like I haven't notched enough of those. Lovino, Saturday is supposed to be my day with my family...no, they ARE going to be here. Yes! What do you think my husband is some sort of traveling salesman? He goes to furniture markets to sell his wares every month or so, whenever they come up, that's all."

Another heavy sigh, Berwald struggled to hear the next words.

"...I'll do it...that kind of money would keep us going for another three months if no new work comes in. No, you are not allowed to start regularly booking me Saturday's, if you do this again, you'll be my next target. Yes, I'm serious."

Berwald heard Tino snort, that same noise he made whenever the children were doing something particularly adorable, or when Berwald made one of those terrible jokes that Tino somehow found humorous.

"What if I miss? Lovino, dear, how long have I worked for you? Since I was nineteen if I remember correctly. No, that time with your grandfather doesn't count. And how many times have I missed?"

Tino giggled softly, Berwald found the sound that was normally so magical to sound slightly morbid.

"Exactly."

Was the only word he was able to hear.

"Yes. I'll be there. Understood. No, I've got some leftover in my trunk. Alright. Good night."

The phone call ended, and Berwald was quick to pace off down the hall, not wanting to be caught eavesdropping.

The trunk.

The trunk Tino kept in the attic that he always locked and never wanted anyone to touch. The trunk he refused to let anyone see within. It had to hold the answer to his wife's odd behavior.

_No._

Berwald shook the thought of breaking into the trunk from his mind.

_I can't go digging around in my wife's things. Sworn to secrecy means he trusts me enough not to leave the house for calls like this. I can return that trust. I won't go rooting around in things that I shouldn't be involved in._

The boys were asleep, so when Tino came down into the kitchen ten minutes after his call with the so-called 'Lovino', in his pajama's, to see Berwald with two mugs of fresh hot chocolate, he smiled tiredly.

"Thanks, Ber." He mumbled, taking the cup and settling into the breakfast nook.

Berwald sat down next to him.

"Could hear you screaming on the phone from all the way down here."

Tino nearly dropped his mug.

"Couldn't tell exactly what you were saying, but you clearly weren't happy."

Berwald sensed Tino's relief, even if Tino tried to hide it.

"Sorry...they called me in this Saturday even though I told them not too ever count on me for Saturdays. I had to agree though...when duty calls, I suppose."

Tino chuckled with exhaustion, rimming his voice before sipping at his cocoa.

Berwald put an arm around Tino's shoulder.

"Even if I don't know much about it...this job...it's really stressful, isn't it?"

Tino groaned softly.

"Ber...you have absolutely no idea...and I'm _so_ glad you don't."

Berwald hummed without comment. "Even if you can't talk to me about it...I'm still here for you."

Tino nodded softly as he finished off his cocoa in record time, Berwald only drinking half of his and leaving the rest on the table to be cleaned up in the morning. Tino's empty mug joined it.

Tino wrapped his arms around Berwald's neck and buried his face in his shoulder.

"I really hope I can tell you someday, Ber...I really hope I can."

Berwald nodded softly and lifted his wife into his lap, holding him there for a few moments before standing, cradling him bridal style.

"If you've got work Saturday, which is tomorrow, you need to get your sleep."

Tino yawned into Berwald's nightshirt.

"Thanks, Ber...I love you."

"Love you too."

* * *

Berwald frowned, he'd arrived back from dropping his sons at their playdate, one of the other parents offering to watch the group of six for the day, taking the responsibility off of him, and therefore allowing him to head back almost five hours before he was expecting to be home.

There was some soft noise coming from the attic.

Berwald checked his watch, even if he didn't know anything tangible about Tino's job, he knew that it normally took a lot longer then three hours for him to get back. Even if he'd left early that morning, it seemed very fast. Then again, Tino had mentioned to him that it wouldn't take as long as usual.

Berwald felt a slight flutter in his chest, perhaps if Tino were back, they could spend the day together. He mounted the steps as he considered this, they could watch one of those cheesy romance movies Tino loved, go out to lunch together, go for a walk in the park, maybe go to that little shopping center with the ice cream parlor...

As these thoughts danced through Berwald's mind, he realized that the sound was coming from the attic, yet the attic hatch in the ceiling of the hall was closed, no ladder descending as a means of getting up there.

He reached up and pulled down the ladder, he'd recently oiled it, as a matter of fact, so not even the tiniest of squeaks was heard.

A voice all to familiar drifted out.

"Dammit, Lovino, first you book me on a Saturday, then you hang me out to dry, saying that the guy's schedule changed! What the hell? You better know I cancelled a day with my family for nothing now! You better damn believe I expect the payment to be the same when I hunt him down! No, I'll kill him for you out of the generosity of my heart, yes, I want the same amount! God damn, Lovino, you're so cheap! I know you can offer more then that! Raise it. More. Do you want this job done cheap or done right? Now you're talking! Alright, I'll call you when I've taken him down. Bye."

Berwald poked his head up into the attic and was beyond horrified at the sight.

Tino, his lovely, kindhearted, gentle, motherly wife, was seated with his legs tucked under him on the floor, cleaning the barrel of a dangerous, sleek black rifle that was notched on the barrel almost twenty times. A belt of ammo was on the floor next to him, and Tino set down the phone he'd been cradling on his shoulder before turning his attention to the scope of the weapon.

"Didn't clean you off after the last one, did I, baby? I'm sorry, look at that, the gunpowder is all caked up...don't worry, I'll make it better..."

He cooed to the gun before letting out a innocent snicker.

"Sheesh, talking to my own guns, you know you've been doing a job long enough when you talk to your own equipment!"

He laughed before taking up a cloth and wiping at the rifle yet again.

Berwald couldn't stand this anymore.

"Tino?" He called as he watched from his place on the ladder.

Tino jumped, gasping in shock and tossing the cloth, rifle, and belt of ammunition into the trunk before slamming the lid shut.

"B-Be right down!" He stuttered out, scrambling to his feet, attempting to sound something bordering on normal.

Berwald climbed fully up, making his presence known.

Tino shrieked before putting both hands to his heart and breathing heavily. "Good god, Ber, you scared me really badly."

Tino waited.

He waited for Berwald to apologize.

He waited for Berwald to hug him awkwardly before they went downstairs.

Berwald just stood there.

Why was he just standing there?

Tino stared up at Berwald for a few moments, before Berwald spoke up, his voice sounded slightly constricted, and Tino could make out his eyes being wider then usual.

"What were you doing up here?" He asked.

Tino swallowed hard before straightening up.

"Oh...just l-looking for s-something, it's n-not really important."

He responded, cursing his trembling voice, Berwald had seriously scared him.

Berwald didn't even make an attempt to agree with Tino's statement.

Instead, he spoke firmly, his voice had an edge of disbelief to it.

"I saw you. You were cleaning a rifle. You were discussing a murder."

Violet eyes flew open wide, tears pooled, knees started quaking, his entire body starting sinking slowly towards the ground.

Tino's entire world shattered like fragile glass.

He sank to his knees, wrapping his arms around himself, unable to cope, unable to attempt to come up with any weak excuse, a well spun lie, it was all gone now, any cheer, any happiness, all snatched away in an instant.

Berwald made no moves to comfort his spouse. Instead, he moved around Tino, Tino put his hands to the floor and swiveled around, crawling weakly towards the trunk in an attempt to stop the unavoidable.

Berwald opened the trunk and looked inside.

This time the swede was on his knees if only to get a better look at the jobs and papers pinned to the inside of the lid.

The photos, the highlighted time frames, the circled locations, the X's over the faces of some. Berwald directed his eyes down to the actual content of the trunk, and found six rifles glaring back at him, this image was seared into his mind.

The ammunition belts were folded neatly to one side, as were several different sized duffle bags, five of the rifles were in two neat stacks. Tino had tossed the sixth, most modern, sleek black sniper rifle in, the scope half attached. Berwald reached in and carefully drew out the rifle, running a finger over the notches in the barrel.

He'd heard that hunters put a notch in their gun for every animal they killed.

"Tino..." Berwald mumbled, looking to the other guns, and finding them each notched on either side, this rifle was newer. He could tell, the others showed signs of wear, some more then others.

He turned slowly to look at Tino without laying the rifle back down.

The finn was on the floor, his feet were splayed in a W shape around him, hands planted in front of him, his head was bent, and he was crying without a sound, entire body shaking.

"What is this?" Berwald asked, his voice came out clear, louder then he had even intended.

Tino lifted his head slowly, tears racing down porcelain cheeks from watery purple eyes.

"My job."

Those two simple words were what Berwald had needed to hear and was honestly expecting.

He still had been praying it was something else.

The rifle was dropped into the trunk with a clack, and Berwald strode over to stand above Tino, who was still crumpled on the ground.

"Why wouldn't you tell me this? When did this start?" Berwald demanded both of these things harshly and without any sort of remorse in his voice.

Tino didn't bother looking up.

"Remember when we met?" He asked, not lifting his head.

"Yes." A clipped reply.

"I was running next to the road alone because, though I killed my target, the bodyguards had spotted me. They shot the wheels of my car. Thats why I say you're a lifesaver. Because you saved me that day. Those men would have killed me otherwise, I'm no good with close combat. My rifles are to powerful to shoot while standing, even if I had managed to get down into proper shot position, they would have possibly been able to dodge around or avoid my shots. I can't maneuver quickly. But then you came up the road in your car and offered me a ride. That duffel bag I was carrying?" Tino lifted a shaky hand and pointed to the trunk.

"It's the first on the bottom, with the blue string tied around the barrel. Thats the rifle that was in my duffel bag that day. One of those ammo straps was in there too, and an old uniform I got rid of." He said

Berwald shuddered at the thought. That memory was something sweet and long treasured. That day he found the one he would soon fall in love with, out freezing in the December snow, shivering in frigid winds, by the side of the road. To think that the bag he'd tossed into the back seat of the then sixteen-year-old Berwald's car had contained such things as this, to think that so much fresh blood was on that hand he had shaken when he'd introduced himself and gotten a two syllable reply.

'Tino.'

It was disturbing to know that name was the name of a killer.

"If it's worth anything..."

Came that weak voice from the floor beneath him, dragging him from memories.

"...I don't take jobs against innocents. Those notches."

The trembling finger was directed towards the guns again. "Not a single one came from someone who didn't already have blood on their own hands. Drug lords, mafia gang members, rival crime rings..."

He trailed off, voice choked off by his constricting throat.

"Rival crime rings?" Berwald demanded

Tino said nothing, just cried harder, he wasn't making any visible sounds, just the heavy breathing and the sob wracked shoulders were any indication. Berwald let a sigh drift out.

"You work for a crime ring?"

Tino shakily nodded.

"I'm sorry..." He gasped out.

Berwald struggled with the situation. He didn't know how to react any further, and his mind was still attempting to process the information he'd just taken him.

His wife had murdered dozens? He was a sniper. He was dangerous. He should be in prison. He should be locked away. He should be thrown into the dark, never to be seen again.

But if he were a criminal, it meant he was only a criminal for killing other criminals. Other criminals that would have committed far worse crimes had he not halted them. Berwald was not attempting in any way to transform him into a hero in his mind, he was only trying to make some sense of what he'd just discovered.

Anything else would have to wait because he had to focus on what Tino was currently trying to force out of his mouth.

"If...if you want me to leave..."

Berwald's heart skipped a beat.

"I...I can...you wouldn't want me around now that you know...it changes everything..."

Tino started trying to get to his feet, intent on packing his trunk, but his legs wouldn't listen to him and caved again. The violet eyed sniper waited to be met with the hardwood again.

A pair of strong arms wrapped under him, around his chest, and lifted him clear off the ground. Tino let out a strangled gasp, certain Berwald was about to toss him into the trunk as well, then lock it and leave it in front of the police station, or abandon it on the side of the road. Right where Berwald had found Tino, it would have been fitting.

Instead, Tino found himself getting hugged.

Berwald was gripping him tightly, and appeared to be upset himself.

Tino's entire body hung limply, he didn't dare make any moves.

"Why?" The violet eyed man whispered.

"It doesn't change who you are. You've done these things. It doesn't change the fact that I'm in love with you. That I swore to love you, with your perfections and your flaws. This is just one of those flaws."

"People are dead because of me." Tino spoke with a dead voice.

Might as well state the obvious.

"I understand that." Berwald replied before he swept one arm underneath Tino and cradled him the same way he had the night before.

"Can you stop?" Berwald questioned.

Tino knew to what he was referring to.

"The contact goes two ways. I didn't want to sign, but I was being threatened...it was sign up, or something important to me would be destroyed."  
Berwald furrowed his brow slightly, looking down at Tino, who's face was still covered with dried tears, his eyes looked weary.

"What important thing?"

Tino swallowed hard.

"W-When I met you...after I realized how much I cared about you...I tried to quit. I really did. I took in all of the equipment they'd given me, and threw all of it onto the head of the rings desk. I tried to walk away from it all. I really tried."

Berwald was startled by this realization.

Tino hadn't moved to put his arms around Berwald's neck like he normally would have when snatched off his feet like this. Instead, he was hugging himself tightly.

"Instead, the crime ring I currently worked for made me a deal. They'd pay me well for every job, leave you and any other family I might have out of everything, and compensate you should I be lost during a hit. In exchange, I had to agree never to drop my rifle again. If I did...things would be bad for both of us."

Tino shuddered.

"If I didn't agree, they would have come after you and me both...I may have been able to protect us, but it would have been horrible. You would have known what I was. I would have had to teach you about my way of life before I met you. We would have spent all this time we've spent with the boys, with each other, safe and happy, running. I couldn't let that happen. That's why I agreed to the contract. A couple years later, just after we'd gotten married, the head of the ring was killed, and his eldest descendent, the older of his two grandsons, took his place. He and I are the same age, we've known each other since I started doing work for his grandfather. Thats why I can wring a bit more money out of him, get a little more time off, skip a job here and there. We're...I guess you could call us friends. I've thought of telling him I want to quit...but I don't want to risk ruining the relationship we have. Even if we've known each other for years, it's still difficult to read where he stands. I don't want to take the chance of making him angry."

Berwald nodded, slowly drinking in this additional information. It made more sense now, Tino was young, and he'd commented on his childhood very few times, only ever saying that he'd never known his parents, and that he'd been very poor.

Berwald could easily imagine a younger version of Tino being plucked out of the streets to be trained by a crime ring. At that point, he could have never known what he was getting into.

Berwald let out a soft sigh.

"I don't want you to leave. Never think I want you to leave."

He gripped at his wife tighter in an attempt to convey how deeply the thought of him vanishing affected him.

"If you can't get out, then we'll have to live with it until we can find a way to get you out."

Berwald promised.

Tino's shook his head.

"It's not safe now that you know."

Berwald frowned.

"Did they ever say you couldn't tell me?"

Tino hesitated, then shook his head again.

"I was scared to. I've always believed that the best way to keep a secret was to never tell it at all. That's why I lied."

Berwald huffed again, now that the initial shock and horror had passed over him, all he wanted was to find a way to assure Tino it would all, in fact, be alright.

"I still love you." It was the best he could think of.

Tino sniffled hard, rubbing at his eyes.

"You don't think I'm a monster?"

Berwald shook his head instantly.

"I think you were dragged into a world. You didn't realize what it was until it was to late."

Tino looked up at Berwald, seeming to be, albeit suspiciously, considering his words.

"You mean it?" He asked, finally.

Berwald smiled softly.

"As much as I did the first time I ever told you."

Tino didn't move for a moment, as if he didn't dare accept the words he was clearly hearing.

Then, he reached up and put his arms around Berwald's neck, burying his face in the taller mans chest.

"Thank you." He gasped out as tears came again, his throat felt raw, even still, his world felt like it was slowly being patched together. Only one thing was left to do.

He and Berwald left the attic together, the trunk was all but forgotten behind them.

They went downstairs and sat on the couch, and for the next four hours, Tino shared the stories before he could only keep locked away in his own mind. Telling of the places he'd travelled, the times he'd been able to steal away for himself before he'd married Berwald and effectively locked himself to the continent.

"The last time I was away for almost a week was because I went to South America! Running through the Amazon is a lot harder then they make it look on TV!"

Berwald nodded along, so pleased Tino seemed to have returned somewhat to normal that, even when they wound up falling asleep on the couch, Berwald with an arm over Tino's shoulder, he didn't realize that something was off about him.

Didn't realize how the smile was forced, how the cheerful ring in his voice was just a bit _too_ cheery. Still, he found himself drifting off in contentment, pleased that he now knew the true mystery of his wife's behavior. Thinking that everything would be a bit easier now, for he could help the man he so dearly loved through his troubles now. They could face it all together.

* * *

When he woke up, Tino was gone.

**Author's Note:**

> And there's the heartbreak...ah, fun times. Well, I hope you enjoyed it! I really enjoyed digging this out and editing it, so hopefully it was worthwhile! Please drop a comment down below to let me know what you think, and please leave kudos if you haven't been here before! Thanks for reading!


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